G/TBT/N/NZL/87  
 
16 April 2019  
(19-2534) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
New Zealand Police  
PO BOX 9147  
Wellington 6141  
New Zealand  
www.police.govt.nz  
permitfirearms@police.govt.nz  
Ph: +64 4 474  9499 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment  
PO Box 1473  
Wellington 6140  
New Zealand  
www.mbie.govt.nz  
wto@standards.govt.nz  
Ph: +64 4 901 8603  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [ X], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Only sub -
sets of these categories. That is, there are both prohibited and non-prohibited items within 
each category. Refer to 6. Description of content for the precise coverage.; Military 
weapons, other than revolvers, pistols and the arms of heading 93.07 (HS 9301); 
Revolvers and pistols, other than those of heading 93.03 or 93 .04 (HS 9302); Other arms 
(for example, spring, air or gas guns and pistols, truncheons), excluding those of heading 
93.07 (HS 9304); Parts and accessories of articles of headings 93.01 to 93.04 (HS 9305); 
- Other sporting, hunting or target -shooting shotg uns, including combination shotgun -rifles 
(HS 930320); - Other sporting, hunting or target -shooting rifles (HS 930330)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Arms (Prohibited 
Firearms, Magazine, and Parts) Amendment Bill (41 p age(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  A general prohibition on importing, selling, supplying, or 
possessing any of the following:  
•  a semi -automatic firearm (other than pistols), with some exceptions;  
•  a pump -action shotgun capable of being used with a detachable magazine;  
•  a pump -action shotgun that has a non -detachable tubular magazine or magazines 
that can hold more than 5 cartridges or magazines;  G/TBT/N/NZL/87  
 
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  •  magazines for shotguns that can hold more than 5 cartridges;  
•  magazines for any other firearm that are detachable and can hold – 
o 0.22 calibre or less rimfire cartridges and more than 10 of those cartridges; or  
o more than 10 cartridges and can be used with a semi -automatic or fully 
automatic firearm  
any other magazine that can hold more than 10 cartridges; and  
a part of a prohibited firearm, including a component, that can be applied to enable, or 
take significant steps towards enabling, a firearm to be fired with, or near, a semi -
automatic action.  
A small number of firearms licence holders are p ermitted under the Bill to import, sell, 
supply, and possess semi -automatic firearms and other items for genuine and justifiable 
reasons. Police approvals are necessary in order to qualify for exemptions.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  This bill amends the Arms Act 1983, with the aim of tightening gun control in 
New Zealand. This bill seeks to remove semi -automatic firearms from circulation and use 
by the general population in New Zealand by prohibiti ng semi -automatic firearms, 
magazines, and parts that can be used to assemble prohibited firearms.   
National security requirements ; Protection of human health or safety  
8. Relevant documents:  Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazine, and Parts) Amendment Bill,  
(41 pages, in English ) 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  12 April 2019  
Proposed date of entry into force:  12 April 2019  
10. Final date for comments:  26 April 2019  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
http://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2019/0125/latest/LMS181180.html